rickenbacker 4003 vs 4004 Laredo

[woodyng2]

Great video! My favorite kind, no talking, just side-by-side audio comparisons. The 4004 sounds wonderful, and doesn’t give up any tonality to the 4003. This was usually not the case with them with the original factory wiring, which could sound very dull and muffled.

 

[Iristone]

Mine is a 4003, but I think they can be made to sound and feel similarly through some mods (but I still prefer the 4003 look).
To convert a 4003 to a 4004: install a pair of HB-1 pickups, rewire the control cavity into a Telecaster-style 1V1T-with-switch configuration, and replace the bridge with a Schaller 3D (some screw holes should align right away on a pre-2020 bass) or Hipshot.
To convert a 4004 to a 4003: install a pair of Hi-Gain or Toaster pickups (remove the bottom plate of the bridge HG), rewire the control cavity to 2 concentric knobs in a Les Paul-style 2V2T-with-switch wiring. It may need additional drilling for the vintage cap switch or Ric-O-Sound, though, and I don't see the need to "downgrade" to a 4003 bridge unless you really need the mute (even then I'd prefer the Music Man implementation).

 

[deniki4]

HB-1s come from the factory as a humbucker with the coils in series. Can you substantiate that there are "extra" leads on the pickups as new from the factory?

The HB-1 pickups come from the factory with 4-conductor wiring (black, red, clear, and blue wires). In the stock configuration, the black and clear wires are connected together under heat shrink to run the coils in series, but those leads remain accessible. By separating them and wiring to push-pull pots, you can split the coils. This is a standard modification possible with any 4-wire humbucker - the “extra” leads are there from the factory, just not utilized in the stock wiring.

 

[woodyng2]

Interesting going back over this thread again. Several opinions that the 4003 and 4004 are equally good, one no better than the other. “Just different “.
It was fun going back 10 years to a time when a 4004 was still *somewhat* easy to find. (And very affordable).
My opinion is the 4004 is the best bass RIC ever made. (For me, It’s definitely a major improvement in every way to the 4003.)
My dwindling collection of basses will always include these 2.

 

[Jeff Scott]

The HB-1 pickups come from the factory with 4-conductor wiring (black, red, clear, and blue wires). In the stock configuration, the black and clear wires are connected together under heat shrink to run the coils in series, but those leads remain accessible. By separating them and wiring to push-pull pots, you can split the coils. This is a standard modification possible with any 4-wire humbucker - the “extra” leads are there from the factory, just not utilized in the stock wiring.View attachment 7405353

That's not any news to me, however, from the factory as stock, there are no "extra" leads (as in, leads hanging unused). What you're describing is what would be done to separate the coils to rewire the pickup. I modified a friend's 4004LK many years ago so I am quite familiar with the concept.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Interesting going back over this thread again. Several opinions that the 4003 and 4004 are equally good, one no better than the other. “Just different “.
It was fun going back 10 years to a time when a 4004 was still *somewhat* easy to find. (And very affordable).
My opinion is the 4004 is the best bass RIC ever made. (For me, It’s definitely a major improvement in every way to the 4003.)
My dwindling collection of basses will always include these 2.
View attachment 7405354

My sentiments exactly. Of the four 4004s I have owned these two will be staying with me until...

One of these days I really should make some new photos of them.